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Goalkeeping Transfer Prospects: Asmir Begovic

Tuesday, February 12th, 2013 at 2:18 pm by Phil Mc Grath

Having made much of the front running in term of defensive points collected the Stoke City keeper was a must have through much of middle part of the season, but a recent dipp in form from the Potters has seen his stock fall quite sharply over recent weeks.

Fixtures permitting Begovic could make a return to form over the closing weeks of the season.

The ability to keep nine clean sheets this season however is not something that you can easily ignore and fantasy managers who be foolish to simply disgard the Stoke keeper without giving him some careful consideration.

Stoke have not managed to keep a clean sheet since round 18 of the Irish Times Fantasy Premier League which has caused us some concern here in “The Managers Office” but we have done our homework on the Potters prospects heading into the last 12 weeks of the season and believe it or not Begoivc has the credentials and the ability to make up some good fantasy points as the season draws to a close.

Stoke’s fixtures at the Britannia see them face off against West Ham, West Brom, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Norwich and Tottenham and when you look at it from an objective point of view these games are not as bad as they first might seem. As we know the Hammers are struggling for goals on their travels, despite West Brom’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool they too are struggling to find results on their travels of late, Aston Villa well? Villa are Villa they are just as likely to draw a blank than they are to get something from the game, while Norwich are on the same boat as the Hammers in as much as they can’t seem to buy a goal of late for love nor money.

Away from home too Stoke’s fixtures don’t seem too harsh with trips to Fulham, Newcastle, Everton, QPR, Sunderland and Southampton down for decision over the final weeks. Again at first glance they don’t look to enticing but when you consider that QPR, Sunderland and Fulham were not able to manage a single goal between them in their last home fixtures the visit of Stoke will not inspire confidence that they can grab a hat full of goals.

There is no doubting that brining Begovic in is a slightly risky option given the Potter recent defensive form but looking at the fixtures four of their final five games could be against sides who have nothing left to play for with all either having secured safety and excepting mid table obscurity or having secured European football for next season.